Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Newsletter #51"People really believe they can survive in the French Defense. Let us allow the believers to play it, and we will reap the harvest."GM Lubosh Kavalek 1) World Junior 2) Elo Rating Thief 3) Fall Tuesday Night Marathon 4) Odds and Ends 5) Upcoming Tournaments 1) World Junior ChampionshipHungarian GM Peter Acs (2514 FIDE) won the World Junior Championship held August 16-29 in Athens, Greece. Seeded seventh at the beginning of the event, Acs defeated Chinese GM Bu in the last round to take top honors with the excellent score of 10 from 13.Players from the Caucasus took the remaining medals. Surprising Georgian IM Merab Gagunashvili (2444) of Georgia was second, ahead of well-known Armenian GM Levon Aronian (2562), with 9 points. Top seed Ni Hua of China (2568) was among those tied for fourth at 8 1/2. American representative Dimity Schneider of New York City (seeded 33 at 2405) tied for 18th-30th with a score of 7 1/2. The World Girls Under 20 Championship was won on tiebreak by Humpy Koneru (2387) of India ahead of Xue Zhao (2372) of China. American representative Yelena Gorlin turned in a good performance. Seeded #39 at 2106 she defeated several higher-ranked players to finish equal 21st-25th at 7/13. 2) Elo Rating ThiefThe last issue of The Week in Chess (#355) reports on the latest shenanigans of the world's most overrated player, Romanian pretend GM Alexandru Crisan. Crisan, who appears to be around 2200, judging from his performance in Portoroz, Slovenia, earlier this summer (1/2 from 9), recently won two tournaments in Yugoslavia.In Kladovo, a Category XII event(2539), Crisan racked up a 2669 performance. He topped this in Tekija, winning the Category XIII (2552) round robin with a result that made Vladimir Kramnik and Garry Kasparov look like pretenders to the throne - 2846 FIDE! Kladovo (double round-robin): 1-2. Crisan, Ruck 7 points out of 10, 3. Ivanisevic 5 1/2, 4. Rajkovic 5, 5. Sulypa 4 1/2 6. Maksimovic 1. Crisan beat Yugoslavian GM Dusan Rajkovic and IM Branimir Maksimovic twice, all his other games were short draws. In Tekija (also a double round robin, Crisan was unstoppable with three victories and only one draw (1. Crisan 3 1/2 points out of 4, 2. Markovic 1 1/2, 3. Jacimovic 1). At a minimum FIDE should refuse to rate these events and if it had any backbone would strip Crisan of his title and rating. Of course this fake GM could not get anywhere without accomplices. One hopes that the players that participated in these events would not be prime candidates for invitations to upcoming events. 3) Fall Tuesday Night MarathonThe Fall Tuesday Night Marathon got off to a good start last night with 56 players competing. All rating classes were well-represented from Master to unrated. There is still time to enter round two next Tuesday with a half point bye.4) Odds and EndsMI GM-in-Residence Alex Yermolinsky will be a busy guy this fall and winter. November 28 will find him playing in the World Championship Knockout in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Alex qualified for this event by winning the Championship of the Americas with a score of 8 1/2 from 13 for a performance rating of 2663. January 4-12 Alex will play in the US Championship in Seattle where he will be joined by his wife Camilla and MI Chess Director John Donaldson. The final 24 qualifying spots for this event will be determined by the results of the National Chess Congress and American Open this Thanksgiving weekend.Mechanics' Institute Members Daichi and Yuki Siegrist recently participated in the All Japan Elementary Championship and All Japan Junior Championship. Daichi won 1st place and Yuki won 2nd in the Elementary Championship and Daichi tied for top honors in the Junior Championship, taking the trophy home on tiebreaks. Congratulations! 5) Upcoming EventsThe Mechanics' will be closed this weekend, but chess players can find action up the road in Santa Rosa where well-known tournament Director Michael Goodall is putting on a Labor Day event.
Sept. 1-2 GPP: 6 N. California MI EventsSeptember 22Howard Donnelly Memorial (5 rounds G/45 at 1/2 K) September 23 Taxi Cab Drivers Tournament (open only to Taxi Cab drivers) Bay Area Masters - September 28-30 and October 5-7 IM Guillermo Rey is offering something new for Bay Area Masters next month. If you are rated over 2200 and want to face strong opposition without having to take time off work check out his event being held September 28-30 and October 5-7. This event should be just the right start for an active fall schedule that includes the Western States Open in Reno and the American Open (US Championship Qualifier) in Los Angeles in November. Bay Area Masters (6 rounds, open to all over 2200, USCF + FIDE rated, $1000-$500-$200 based on 22 paid entries) For more information contact IM Guillermo Rey (650) 355-0305 or reyg@ix.netcom.com. Full details at www.milibrary.org
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December 1 REGIONAL TOURNAMENTSSept. 15-16 GPP: 6 N. CaliforniaSacramento Chess Club Weekend Swiss #7. 5SS, rds 1-2 G/90, rds 3-5 30/90, G/1, SD/5. Best Western Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Ave., Sacramento. $$2180 b/75 adult ents. & $5 Jr. ents. (w/60 adult & 5 Jr. the fund will be $1680). 1st place in each section $350 gtd. & trophy. 2 Sections: Championship (above 1799) & Reserve (U1800). EF: $50, Jrs. $25, posted 9/8, $60 at site, Jrs. $30. Reg: 8-9:10 9/15. Rds: 9:30-1-4:30, 10-3:30. 1/2 pt byes avail all rds. Byes in rd 5 mentioned before rd 1. HR: Best Western Expo Inn, 916-922-9833 or 800-643-4422. Ask for Sacramento chess club rates. Ent/Info: John McCumiskey, 6700 50th St., Sacramento, CA 95823, phone number: 916-557-7053 (days), 916-428-5532 (eves). www.lanset.com/jmclmc/default.htm. Cks to Sacramento Chess Club. NS,NC,W. Rico Adkins is running a tournament in late September in an area where few events have been held recently. The location, near the intersection of Interstate 80 and State Highway 4 should make for a very easy drive for players from many parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano and Napa counties. Good luck Rico! The Under 2000 Tournament on Sat. Sept. 29th and 30th for players under 2000. $300-200-100, best B, C, D, $100 35/90 SD/1 based on 40 paid entries, 1 section (Limited to 50 players). 5 round Swiss tournament at the Mechanics Bank Office in the North Shore Business Park at San Pablo Ave. in Hercules, CA at the HWY 4 and HWY 80 connector. Take John Muir parkway from San Pablo into the business Park and make a right turn (The only turn) . Go up hill to 725 Alfred Nobel, The Mechanics Bank. Reg. ends Sat. at 9:00 am Sept. 29th rounds:Sat. 10:00am, 2:00 pm, 6:00 pm, Sun. 10:00 am 2:00 pm. Pre-entries: $35.00 to be sent by 09/22/01 to: Rico B. Adkins, 15684 Crestwood Dr.# 137, San Pablo, CA 94806. Include your USCF I.D.# and current rating with entry. $40. at site/ No checks at site. Must be a USCF member to participate. If not, renewal available at tournament registration. Questions call (510) 262- 9061. |